


Steven Universe Farther into the Future Episode 24: Greta

by LMasterm1nd



Series: Steven Universe Farther into the Future [27]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Comedy, F/F, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Getting to Know Each Other, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Relationship(s), Self-Doubt, Self-Reflection, Stand Up Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27354814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LMasterm1nd/pseuds/LMasterm1nd
Summary: In the last episode, Greg meets an old girlfriend from before he met Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond, and discovers he had a daughter he didn't even know about. Upon reflecting how he had raised the child he stayed for, Greg begins to question whether or not he had been a good father to Steven.Meanwhile, Rose, prepping for the play she's going to be in, decides to do a performance for Comedy Night at the Amusement Park so she can get experience performing in front of an audience.
Relationships: Amethyst/Garnet/Pearl (Steven Universe), Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Crystal Gems & Greg Universe, Greg Universe & Steven Universe, Greg Universe/Original Female Character(s), Mystery Girl/Pearl (Steven Universe), Pink Diamond/Greg Universe, Rose Quartz/Greg Universe
Series: Steven Universe Farther into the Future [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607287
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Aunt Greta

The Beach House was silent for a moment, everyone still processing the big bombshell Steven, Connie and Greg found out last night. Greg had another kid before Steven. Greg, Steven and Connie of course have met with this woman, Greta, she was the daughter of Lauren, a old high school flame of Greg's, the relationship broke off peacefully when Greg wanted to pursue his dreams of becoming a rock star. "Let me get this straight, Greg, you had another kid before Steven!?" asked Amethyst. "Yep, that's how it is..." Greg admitted. "You dog!" Amethyst cheered. "Amethyst, this is serious, Greg, how could you be so unfaithful to Rose!?" Pearl scolded. "Unfaithful to me?" Rose asked. "Grandma Rose, not you, Rose" said Piers. "Ooooh" said Rose. "Pearl, this was from before I even came to Beach City" Greg explained. 

"Not a very good excuse Greg" said Pearl. "Pearl, it's not an excuse! This was before I met Rose!" Greg insisted. "Than you were unfaithful to that first woman you were with" said Pearl. "What!? No, we ended our relationship when I left home, on good terms no less" Greg explained "besides, by your logic, wouldn't your relationship with Sabina be considered unfaithful to Rose?" "Wow, Greg that may have been the smartest thing I ever heard you say" said Pearl. "I guess nobody ever really ends up with the first person they fall for..." Greg commented.

"Not true, we did" said Garnet holding up her hands showing both Ruby and Sapphires wedding bands on her hands. "We did" said Steven and Connie in unison showing their wedding rings. "Me too" said Rose, showing a picture of her girlfriend Selena on her phone. "Same here" said Piers, showing a picture of his girlfriend Alice on his phone. Pearl and Greg were silent for a moment. "Well...uh...the last two don't count, they're still teenagers" said Greg. "Yes, indeed, they're still young" Pearl agreed. "Me and Steven started going out officially when we were teenagers" Connie interjected. "Well, looks like you two are the only ones who didn't end up with the first person you fell for" said Amethyst. "What are you talking about Amethyst, you're not even in a relationship" Pearl argued. "Why do you think I always go out when it's Lapis and Peridot's date night?" said Amethyst. "Well...wait, you don't mean..." Pearl stammered "Amethyst, are you implying that...?" "I have a life outside this house you know, me, Lapis and Peridot, we have an understanding" Amethyst gloated.

"Wow, looks we're the black sheep in this house, huh Pearl?" asked Greg. "It would seem so" said Pearl. "I think we're getting a bit off topic here" said Garnet. "Right, so, Dad, your new sister, did you meet her?" asked Rose. "Yeah, she's actually kind of nice..." said Steven "she's actually interested in meeting you kids." "I never thought I'd have a human aunt" said Piers. "I know, right, all our aunts have been gems so far" said Rose. "Yeah, so she'll be here around noon, so you two be nice to her, okay?" asked Steven. "Around noon? I have work then" Piers said. "Oh, well, I guess we can stop by later then" said Steven.

Just then, Rose's phone buzzed. "Oh, hi Mr. Jamie" said Rose. "Hey Rose, I hope you're ready, the play premieres two weeks from now" Jamie told her. "Wow, Mr. Jamie, I guess I should tell you...I haven't performed in front of an audience before" said Rose. "Hey, a little stage fright is nothing to be ashamed of, if I may make a suggestion, Mr. Smiley is running his monthly Comedy Night at the Amusement Park, I think that will be a great practice" Jamie assured her. Rose, of course, never thought things through when it came to decisions like this, so she agreed without considering, well, anything. 

Later that day, they saw a van that looked to be the same kind of van Greg had, it looked like it was made more recently but the design was familiar enough. Greta came out of the van and made her way towards the house. "She really is my daughter" Greg commented. Steven welcomed his sister in. "Wow, 'lil bro, this is some sweet digs you have here" Greta commented "I thought my condo was fancy." "Condo?" asked Connie. "Yeah, I live there with my husband, he's kind of a big shot in the stock market" said Greta "my career as a graffiti artist is more of a hobby, really, a hobby I make a few bucks out of, but still...how did you afford all this?" "Well, actually I had this place built" said Greg "Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst and I made it for Steven." "Wow, it must have been fun to grow up in a place like this" said Greta. "Actually, the construction of this house didn't start until I was five, I spent my childhood in dad's van" said Steven. Greg didn't know why, but hearing Steven say that gave Greg a strange feeling. 

* * *

Meanwhile Rose was at the Amusement Park, wanting to meet with Mr. Smiley. She explained the situation to him and he nodded as he listened to her. "Well, normally this is reserved for professionals but I'll make an exception for you, Rose, but on one condition" said Mr. Smiley. "Which is?" asked Rose. "You'll have to say something to make me laugh, right here, right now" Mr. Smiley said. "Okay, that'll be easy!" said Rose. "Well see" said Mr. Smiley, leaning back on his chair with his arms crossed. Rose suddenly felt intimidated by Mr. Smiley's stone cold glare, if she wanted to do this, she would have to think of something funny, and fast!

She cleared her throat and said the first thing that came to her head "Uh...Men and women are different in so many ways..." she began. She was interrupted by Mr. Smiley's abrupt laughter. "It's true! It's so true!" said Mr. Smiley, barely containing himself. "So...am I in?" asked Rose. "Yes...Yes! You're so in!" said Mr. Smiley trying to contain his laughter. "Yes!" Rose cheered. "Men and women are different in many ways...you just don't hear too many jokes like that these days..." said Mr. Smiley, chuckling.


	2. Father and Daughter Bonding

Rose, feeling successful from being accepted into Comedy Night at the Amusement Park, happily skipped all the way home. For the people of Beach City, seeing Rose in a good mood had been a common sight, for better or for worse, for some of the residents who had grown up in this town, she reminded them of her father in his younger days. She went down to the Beach making her way on home, she noticed a second van right next to her grandfather's van, that probably meant her new aunt is here to visit.

Rose had been very interesting in meeting her, even though she had only heard of her this morning, sometimes it doesn't take much to catch Roses interest in certain subjects, other times it's a miracle if she can pay attention, the inner mechanisms of her mind were an enigma that way. She entered the door and saw her new aunt, she was amazed to find that she sort of resembled a younger female version of Grandpa Greg. "Oh hey there, you must be Rose" said her new aunt "my name's Greta." "Oh my gosh! Hi!" said Rose, quickly giving her new aunt a hug. "Whoa, she's an enthusiastic one, isn't she?" Greta commented. "You have **no** idea" said Steven. "Ah, doesn't bother me, I kind of like her enthusiasm" said Greta. "So, where have you been all this time?" asked Rose. 

"Well, that's a bit of a tough one, I grew up in my grandparents house with my mom, and then we moved to a small apartment in Empire City as my mom got a marketing job for a huge cooperation, where I got an interest in graffiti style artwork" said Greta "then I got my first apartment, so, you might say, I was all over the place all this time." "Wow, I guess we have a lot in common, huh?, I travelled across the country when I was sixteen" said Steven. "What!? No way, jeez, my mom wouldn't even let me go to the next town over by myself at that age" said Greta "at least, not until I was eighteen, by then I was a legal adult so there wasn't anything she could do to stop me." Greg simply blushed at that, as, now that he thought about it, allowing a 16 year old to go out on his own probably wasn't a good idea.

"Oh cool, so what else did you do?" asked Rose. "Well, right now I'm a graffiti artist, married to a Wall Street executive, so, all in all, can't complain" said Greta. "Have any kids?" Rose asked. "No, we discussed it years ago, we decided not have kids" Greta explained "I mean, when I still lived in my apartment, there was this couple who had a kid who'd cry every hour, sort of a deal breaker on parenthood for me." "Well, that's fair, the early years of raising kids are the hardest" said Connie "I mean, the gems did help us, but still, it was a bit of a challenge, well not Piers, he was pretty calm most of the time, but Rose...well..." "Well, you two seem to have figured things out" said Greta. "Yeah, well, I usually work from my home office, so I'm usually there for the kids when I'm not busy" said Steven. 

Greg couldn't help but feel proud of how Steven grew up to become such a responsible parent...much more responsible than himself. Just then, a few moments from the past flashed in his mind. He thought back to the time when Steven was driving the van and went on a rant about his unconventional childhood, the words Steven had said to him suddenly had more of an impact on him now than they did in the past. Greg was starting to question his fatherhood. 

Meanwhile, the conversation had changed. "So, Dad, Mom, guess what?! I'm going to be on Comedy Night at the Amusement park" said Rose. "Really? I thought Mr. Smiley only allowed in professionals" said Connie. "Well, he said he'd make an acceptation only if I could make him laugh, and I managed to do that, I barely even finished my joke and I had him in stitches" Rose bragged. "Hey, uh, if I may offer some advice, you should come up with some snappy comebacks for hecklers" Greta advised "I've worked at a comedy club once, new comedians are prime targets for hecklers, a truly good comedian news how to shoot down hecklers." "But, I don't have a gun" said Rose. "Not literally, I mean, the snappy comebacks" said Greta "here, I have a list on my phone I used to share with some newbie comedians who really needed them." Greta showed Rose her phone, and Rose took down her phone and took notes of each of them. 

"Hey Dad! Nice Shirt!" She called out in Steven's direction. "Oh, hey, thanks, sweetheart, I was waiting for someone to notice, I got it at the mall just the other day, Dad was right, cherries are awesome" said Steven. "Uh, no, dad that was meant to be a snappy comeback, I was supposed to be mocking you" Rose explained. "You're not supposed to blurt them out like that" said Greta "you're supposed to wait for someone to criticize you and then you use them." "Oh, I got it! Hey, Dad, I need to practice my comebacks, so could you heckle me every now and again until tonight?" asked Rose. "That's a terrible plan, it'll never work" said Steven. 

"What? Dad, why would you say that?" asked Rose. "Uh, honey, I think your father is playing along with your plan" Connie suggested. Rose looked to her father, who was giving her a wink. "Oh yeah? well, nice shirt, cherry man!" Rose said. "Now you're getting it" Greta complimented. Greta than noticed Greg was thinking about something.

"Hey, how's it going, Dad?" asked Greta. "Oh, nothing, I was just...thinking about things" said Greg "you know, If I had known your mother was having you, I'd have stayed." "She actually said something along those lines about you staying if you had known about me" said Greta. "Really? Your mother told you about me?" asked Greg "what did she say about me?" "She told me you were a nice man, but a bit stubborn sometimes" said Greta. "Yep, that's Lauren, alright, I was kind of stubborn back then, and she was never afraid to call me out on it" said Greg. "Yeah, she does tend to get straight to the point, doesn't she?" said Greta "you know, the reason I came back here today, is because well, I want to get to know you a bit better." "Well, I hope I haven't been disappointing so far..." said Greg.

"Actually, you're exactly what I imagined" said Greta. "Sooo....is that good or bad?" asked Greg. Greta laughed at that. "What? What's so funny?" asked Greg. "Oh, nothing, nothing, It's just, I always imagined my dad would have a beard and well, here you are" said Greta. "Yeah, well, there really wasn't many places to shave back when I was still living in my van and I sort of gotten used to the beard" said Greg. "So, my little brother spent the first few years of his life in a van, huh?" Greta commented. "Well, I was a wannabe rockstar with a failed career, money was tight back then" said Greg. "No need to explain, I figured as much, at least got in some good outdoor activity, right?" said Greta "and besides, it looks like he turned out fine." "Yeah, well..." Greg thought back to the time after Steven's monstrous breakdown, he remembered him wrapped up in a blanket, leaning on lion, letting out all the stress he had been holding back for so long "There were more than a few complications along the way..." 


	3. Was I A Good Father?

Steven decided to take Greg and his new sister out to local coffee shop Grind Me! to introduce Greta to his son, who had a shift around this time. "Really? You'll give me a break just for me to meet her!?" Piers asked his boss. "Don't sweat it, eh? This is place may be owned by a big corporation, but it's a family corporation" said Piers's boss "mind you, the company cut all ties with the family that founded it, but that's beside the point. The point is, family is gold." Piers thanked his boss for the small break and hopped over the counter when he saw his father, his grandfather and his new aunt come in.

"Hey, son, on break already?" asked Steven. "Yeah, just now" Piers answered. "So this is my new nephew, looks a lot like you Steven" Greta commented. "Yeah, I get that a lot" said Steven "Garnet likes to say it's his best feature." "So, how old are you, kid?" asked Greta. "Sixteen" Piers answered. "Ah, you know, I got my first job when I was just your age" said Greta. "Where did you work?" asked Piers. "A comedy club, I told your sister about it earlier, I helped give her a few pointers for her performance at Comedy Night tonight." "Wait, Mr. Smiley is letting Rose perform at Comedy night!? This, I gotta see" Piers said with a glimmer of mischief. "I take it there's some sibling rivalry?" Greta asked Steven. "Not usually, but Rose can be quite the wild card, so, sometimes she can make a spectacle of herself" Steven explained. "Sounds like me when I was younger, I used to be quite the troublemaker myself" said Greta.

"So, Piers, your father says your into metalwork" said Greta. "Yeah, It's something I like doing" said Piers "I'm going to try to make a career out of it." "Not a bad idea, at least your hobby won't get arrested for defacing public property" said Greta "I can tell you one thing, my mom's relieved she doesn't have to pay bail for me now that I'm getting paid to spray paint people's property." "No way! That's awesome!" Piers commented. "...I find it disturbing that my son thinks breaking the law is awesome" Steven whispered to his dad. "Well, hey, at least it's not a crime where anyone gets hurt, right?" Greg said.

Later that day, Greg decided to go for a walk, he still couldn't get over the self-doubt that started sprouting in his mind. Steven's words from 23 years ago still bothered him "My problem isn't that I'm a gem, my problem is...I'm a Universe!" Those words had more impact now than they did when Greg initially heard them. Greg then saw Joshua Pearl leaving the Spactries bakery, putting a cake pop in his mouth and giving a second one he was holding to Margaret, his adopted half gem, half space alien daughter. "Hey, Joshua, how's everything?" asked Greg. "Not bad, Greg, Car Wash is no different than when ya left it with me" said Joshua. "Say, thanks, do you think we can talk, this afternoon?" Greg asked.

Later on, by the car wash, Greg and Joshua sat down on lawn chairs by the currently not busy Car Wash. "So...you know how Steven once turned into that Monster that one time, long ago?" Greg asked. "Uh, Greg, I'm only 22 years old, I wasn't even born yet when that happened" Joshua corrected him. "Oh, right..." said Greg "just, I've been thinking about how I've raised Steven, and I don't think I might have done a good enough job in hindsight." "Well, you've come to the wrong guy for parenting advice, firstly, I'm too young, and secondly, I'm the adoptive father of a six foot all six year old girl" said Joshua "I can't tell ya how many times I had ta fend off creeps who mistake Margaret for an adult, as for my parenting skills, I'm going off everything written in Dr. Maheswaran's book."

"Ugh, don't get me started on my son's mother-in law's book" said Greg "I don't hate Dr. Maheswaran or anything but, I'm the guy who raised the first gem/human hybrid in existence, but one medical examination and all of the sudden she's the go to expert. Er...please don't tell Connie or Dr. Maheswaran I said that." "Well, true, you did raise Steven, but Dr. Maheswaran did figure out da nature of his being, look, I ain't saying you're wrong, but the type of advice your looking for is better off being heard from the mouth of someone more qualified, and for me, Dr. Maheswaran, aside from Gem-ma, has been a huge help." "Well, you do bring up some good points, I'll think it over" said Greg

Greg went around town, he stopped by to visit with Vidalia. "Hey, Greg, what's up?" asked Vidalia. "Oh, hey, well, you know how Marty ditched you with Sour Cream?" asked Greg. "I don't know where you're going with this, but tread carefully" Vidalia warned. "Well, the thing is...I did the same thing to a girl I used to know in my hometown, the thing is, I didn't know that kid existed until recently" Greg explained. "Seriously? Wow, so Steven has an older sister..." Vidalia commented. "Yeah, the thing is, after meeting her, I've been thinking about if the daughter I left behind was better off than the son I stayed for, wondering if I was any good as a parent" Greg explained. "Well, I can't really say Greg, you and I weren't too different one the sense that we were both struggling artists raising a child on our own" said Vidalia. "Well, Yellowtail did come in when Sour Cream was a little older" said Greg. "True, but you get my point" said Vidalia "you did the best you could with what you had." "Yeah, I know, but I'm wondering if my best was enough" Greg wondered.

Meanwhile at The Hospital, Dr. Maheswaran's phone rang. "Greg Universe, what could he possibly want?" Dr. Maheswaran groaned. She answered the phone. "Hello, Greg, this better be an emergency" Dr. Maheswaran greeted. "Hey, uh, Dr. Maheswaran...I'll get right to the point" said Greg "Do you think I was a good father?" Dr. Maheswaran was silent for a few moments. "Where is this coming from?" she finally asked. Greg than explained everything that had been happening recently. "Oddly enough, what you just told me doesn't surprise me in the least" Priyanka commented. "Well...what do you think, was I a good father to Steven or not?" said Greg. "Well, from what I've seen from you and the gems, is that Steven was raised as a gem with human characteristics when he should have been raised as a human with gem characteristics" said Dr. Maheswaran "not to mention that he has had little contact with any of his peers, or had a single visit to a doctor before me, and the fact that you didn't register him as a citizen until he was fifteen." "Well, I thought if I did that, he might have been taken away from me" Greg explained. "Greg, until around twenty years ago, the government didn't even know gems existed" Dr. Maheswaran scolded "besides, if you want to know what I think, you are one of the most irresponsible parents I have ever met, you allowed him to go on dangerous missions, you left him with three gems who knew nothing of human children, these very same gems left him alone, unattended by any form of supervision whatsoever half the time, it's no wonder he was all on edge at sixteen." 

Greg was speechless....


	4. Gregvision!

Greg's subconscious productions presents....

GREG'S UNIVERSE~! 

Starring Greg Universe as Greg DeMayo

Lauren Masters as Lauren Masters and Greta DeMayo as Greta DeMayo!

Greg's Universe is filmed in front of a live non-existent studio audience.

* * *

Greg woke up with a fright. "Jeez, Greg, what's your problem? It's three in the morning!" Lauren complained. "Huh? Oh, I just had this weird dream...I was a beach bum who got freaky with some alien chick...the rest is a blur though..." said Greg. "Sounds like the plot to one of your old comics" Lauren commented "since we're up, you do remember what day it is, right?" "Err....what?" asked Greg. "I figured as much, it's our wedding anniversary, Greg" Lauren reminded him. "Oh, yeah right, you're always there for me whenever I make a mistake, I'm so glad you came and stopped me before I left home, if it weren't for you, I'd have been just another failed wannabe rockstar" said Greg. "Well, you can thank Greta for that, If I didn't make it in time for me to tell you I was pregnant with her, you might have actually left town" said Lauren "but you didn't you are here, and you are a good father. One who is always good to his daughter, who would never allow any harm to come to his daughter" Greg was stunned for a moment "Honey, why are you speaking like you're giving some sort of exposition? Why was I talking like that too, for that matter!?" Greg asked. All of the sudden Greg heard a strange disembodied laughter. "What the heck was that?" Greg asked. 

The laughter started again. "What was what? asked Lauren. "Didn't you hear it, the laughter, it sounded like a studio audience of some kind?!" said Greg. "Oh, Greg, we're you partaking in Greta, our daughter's, marijuana stash again?" Lauren said. The studio audience laughter was even louder. "Oh, and don't forget, your parents are coming over for dinner tonight" Lauren reminded him. "Oh, yeah I forgot...wait...did you say my parents were coming over for dinner?" Greg stammered. The "studio audience" made an "oooooh!" sound. "Oh boy..." Greg groaned.

* * *

Theme Song:

Good times and bad times, that's how it ought to be, here in life's great odyssey

A Family can be a blessing and a curse

But we're together for better or for worse

That's how it is, here in Greg's Universe!

* * *

All of the sudden, before Greg could comprehend that montage of him, Lauren and Greta doing various family fun activities and fun mishaps while upbeat cheesy music was playing over it, he suddenly found himself in the kitchen. "Wha-how did I get here?" asked Greg. "Dad, are you feeling okay?" asked Greta. However, Greta looked different, she wasn't the adult he met her as, she was much younger, about sixteen years old. "Wha-how did you get so young and vibrant!?" Greg exclaimed. "Really? Aww, thank you daddy! I knew this dress looked good when I saw it!" Greta said, giving her dad a hug. The "studio audience" gave an affectionate "aaawwww". "Take it easy on your father this morning, dear, he's feeling a bit under the weather today" Lauren told Greta. 

"What's wrong dad? Are you sick?" asked Greta. "I-I don't know, it's just, I don't know if there's something wrong with me or if there's something wrong with everything else" said Greg. The "studio audience" laughed yet again. "What was funny about that?" Greg shouted, looking around. "Mom, what's wrong with him?" asked Greta. "I don't know, hey Greg, why don't you go see the doctor today?" Greta suggested. "You know what, maybe I should, something definitely doesn't feel right, I should stop by the store and tell my new employee that she'll be in charge today" Greg answered.

Greg went his record store called Greg's Universe. His new employee was a young African American woman, she had an afro and wore sunglasses despite being indoors. "Hey, look, I'm not feeling to well today, so I need you to look after the store while I'm at the doctor's. Is that alright with you...what was your name again?" "Don't worry, you're leaving the store in good hands, oh, and it's Garnet, you should know this" The Young woman told him. "Yeah, sorry, I think I may have woke up wrong this morning" said Greg. "Or perhaps you didn't wake up at all and this is all a dream" said "Garnet" "It's starting to feel like it" said Greg. "Seek out the man with curly black hair" Garnet advised.

At the hospital, Greg sat in the waiting room. "Mr. DeMayo, the Doctor will see you now" said a Nurse with a rather bird-like nose. Greg went into Doctor's office. "Dr. Maheswaran!? What are you doing here?" asked Greg. "What do you mean, Greg, I've been your family physician for the past twelve years, speaking of which, how's Greta doing, will she be able to babysit tomorrow night?" said Dr. Maheswaran. "Uh...I think so..." said Greg "anyways..." "Yes right, why you're here, your wife says you've been behaving strangely this morning, what seems to be the problem?" "Well, I've been feeling off this morning, like something's wrong" said Greg. "Wrong how? And where exactly do you feel it?" asked Dr. Maheswaran.

"Well, it's not a physical feeling, it's like a mental feeling, I have this weird sense that I am in an unfamiliar place, and this might sound crazy, but, I think I'm hearing laughter from some disembodied voices" Greg explained, to which, the "studio audience" laughed again. "Indeed it isn't" said Dr. Maheswaran "This is a premature assumption, I may need to run a few tests, but it sounds to me like a case of Schizophrenia" said Dr. Maheswaran. The "Studio Audience" laughed. "That's not funny!" said Greg. "Yes, Indeed it isn't" said Dr. Maheswaran. "It's not you, it's...I think I'm hearing them again" said Greg. The audience laughed again. "Well, it appears you still have a firm grip on reality, so it's probably a minor case, or at the very least in its early stages, so I'm going to write you down a prescription, and I'm also going to recommend you to a specialist" said Dr. Maheswaran.  
  


All of the sudden, her phone began ringing. "Excuse me for one second" said the doctor going to the phone. "Hello? Doug? Doug what's wrong? What about Connie?" asked Dr. Maheswaran, sounding increasingly panicked. "Connie!? Is something wrong with Connie!?" asked Greg. Dr. Maheswaran started tearing up. "What happened!?" asked Greg. "She's gone...my little Connie's gone, a piece of a cliff broke off and crushed her" Dr. Maheswaran said, with tears flooding her eyes. The audience this time gasped and gave a sympathetic "awwwww". "N-no! Th-this can't be right!" Greg commented. "I know, she was so young...why...why?" Dr. Maheswaran responded. She then looked to Greg "Would it be alright if I cut this appointment short?" she asked him, fighting back the tears. "What? Of course it would, I can't believe this is happening..." Greg said, shaking his head. 

Greg walked down the hall, feeling even more horrible than he did this morning. "That girl didn't have to die, you know" a young lady's voice said. She was a short and stacked woman with almond skin "find the man with curly black hair" she continued. "Yes, find him and things will make sense again" The pointy nosed Nurse added.

Later that day, Greg heard a knock at the door, and saw a balding man with a rather strict look on his face and and a thick moustache on his face. "Hello, father..." Greg grumbled. "Boy" Greg's father responded. The dinner went over like any dinner on a sitcom where the parent and child have a sort of hatred for each other, the typical hijinks one watching sitcom would expect in this situation, between Greg and his father. All of the sudden a shaking started. Everyone started panicking, as on the street, fissures began forming in the street and out of it came these white ghost like items. "Mr. DeMaaaayo!" Garnet's voice called out "You need to find the man in curly black hair, he'll solve everything!" Greg was hesitant. "Do it, greg" said Lauren "you're needed out there, it's not time for you to throw in the towel yet!" 

Greg went out, as he ran through the streets he saw huge giant blue and yellow arms and an indescribable monster on the horizon. In the distance he saw a man standing in the middle of this chaos, he had black curly hair, like three people he met today told him about. "You!" Greg shouted "Those three I met today, they said you could solve everything" "What were their names?" The man asked. "What?" Greg exclaimed. "Their names! What are their names!" The man demanded. "Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl" he blurted out "wait, how did I know that?" "Because none of this is real, you need to wake up, wake up now!" said the man. 

* * *

Suddenly Greg suddenly opened his eyes and saw a bright light, once his eyes got used to it, he noticed he was in a hospital room. "Wh-wha...how did..." Greg stammered. "Oh thank god, you're alright" he heard a familiar voice say. "S-steven...Steven is that you?" Greg asked. "Yeah, you collapsed in the middle of the sidewalk, Priyanka says it was a minor heart attack" Steven explained. "I may have been a bit too harsh to you over the phone" said Priyanka. "So...that was all a dream then...this...where I am now, this is real...you are all real...thank goodness" said Greg. "Jeez, that sounds like it must have been one heck of a dream" Greta commented. "Greta, you...you aren't a teenager" said Greg. "Haven't been for a long time, Dad" said Greta. Steven went to the door and said "He's up everyone, he's okay, just take it easy on him" he said. All of the sudden, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and Greg's grandchildren all flooded the room. "You gave us quite the scare, Greg" said Amethyst in a relieved tone. 

"I'm just happy to be awake" said Greg.


	5. He's No Father of the Year, But...

Everyone was relieved that Greg was alright, although he now had to stay overnight for observation. "I'm sorry to cut this happy gathering short, but Hospital regulations state that only two visitors are allowed in a room at a time" Dr. Maheswaran announced "so I'm going to ask all but two of you to leave and wait your turn." Everyone agreed that the two people who needed to be in the room with Greg the most were Greg's son and daughter. "So, how long was I out?" asked Greg. "About three hours, you were crying and also, you were humming a really upbeat tune, sort like something you'd hear out of a sitcom opening" Greta answered. "Yeah, I had this dream where I stayed with Lauren" said Greg "and...it was great at first, but things started going crazy, all these things started happening, all because Steven didn't exist in this dream..."

"Jeez, that sounds like one heck of a dream, but it's over now Dad" Steven comforted. "Steven, I'm sorry" said Greg. "Sorry? For what?" asked Steven. "I don't know, everything, not raising you in a proper home before the house was built, not letting you go to school, all those things you told me off about..." said Greg "I...I should have listened to you back then...like, really listened to you on that day." "Dad..." "No, Steven, I've been a horrible father to you, and I doubt that I would have been much better if I had stayed to help raise Greta" Greg continued. "Dad, do you really think that way...?" asked Steven. 

Greg nodded, tears streaming down his face. Both Steven and Greta looked at each other, Greg seemed to be fully convinced of his poor fatherhood at this point. "Greg, while I did mean what I said over the phone, I shouldn't have unloaded that all onto you" said Dr. Maheswaran "what I said were things I've kept bottled up for Connie's sake, Steven had been the first real friend she had, she had been the happiest I've seen her since she was little, and after meeting you, I had doubts about your parenthood, and after hearing the stories Connie told, my doubts grew, but from what I've seen, you and Steven were close, much closer than me and Connie, and admittedly, I was a little envious of that, and in the end, you did turn things around and did the right thing for your son and got him the help he needed, so, you may have been an irresponsible father, but, you aren't the worst father Steven could have had."

"And for what it's worse, I know I've said this before, I wasn't disappointed by who my Dad was, I'm happy to have finally met you, and I hope we can see each other more often" said Greta. "Yeah, Dad, some of the best memories from my childhood were from the times I spent with you" said Steven. Greg was then tearing up for a completely different reason. "Who'd have thought a guy like me could have fathered two of the best people I've ever met" said Greg. "We would" said Steven and Greta said in unison "...Jinks!" they then said to one another. "You know, for two siblings who have just met, you two certainly are getting along well" Dr. Maheswaran commented. "Well, before this all started, we spent the day getting to know each other, and well, we have a few things in common" said Greta "so, yeah, it feels good to know I have a younger brother who's almost as cool as I am." "Excuse me, almost as cool? Me being not only half alien, but also having powers, that doesn't seem cool to you?" said Steven. "Okay, I have to admit, that is pretty cool" said Greta with a laugh. 

"Say, I'm going to go to the Cafeteria, you want anything, Dad? Steven?" asked Greta. "Just a coffee for me" said Steven. "I could use some water, if that's okay" said Greg. "Alright, be right back" said Greta. "A heart attack, huh? I'm glad I managed to survive it, but I should probably change my diet so this doesn't happen again" said Greg "no more greasy foods for me." "A very good discussion, however it won't make the possibility of a heart attack go away, but it will make a heart attack less likely" said Dr. Maheswaran "now, there is a stereotype of dieting meaning giving up food that tastes good, but I know some "Heart Smart" recipes that you might like." "Thanks, Dr. Maheswaran" said Greg.

* * *

Greg had decided to turn on the TV and saw an interview with a famous comedian. "So, Mr. Williams, you'll be performing at a small city comedy night?" asked the interviewer. "Yessir, I owe Howard Smiley a debt, so off I go" The Comedian said. "So, you have any interesting jokes you want to share with us?" The interviewer asked. "Well, I do have a funny story I think, you'll like" said The Comedian "so, I was going hiking with my family one time..." "Hey wait a minute..." said Greg. "We were supposed to be crossing a river, but it looked to steep, so my cousin told me he knew where to rent a rowboat" The Comedian on TV said "now, he was mumbling at the time so I misheard rowboat as robot, and he kept going on about how close we were to the rental place until I blurted out "What Robot?! What Robot!?" and he looked at me like I was crazy." 

"H-hey, that's my joke, I told that to him..." said Greg. Greg recognized that comedian, he met him once at a venue he was opening for. "Come on Dad, maybe it's just a coincidence" said Steven. "No, Steven, that was my joke, he copied it word for word"


	6. Nobody Could Ever Be Ready

Connie came into Greg's room to check up on how Greg was doing. "Hey, where's Greta?" asked Connie. "She offered to get us something to drink from the cafeteria" said Steven "so, where were you." "Oh, I just went to speak to Mom, and well, I went past the maternity ward on the way there" Connie explained. "Don't get any ideas, Connie, four kids are enough" said Steven. "Come on, you love all our kids" said Connie. "I do, but that's besides the point, we already have a big enough family as it is" said Steven. "Relax, Steven, I was just joking" said Connie, giggling. "Alright, but if you even think about having another kid, I'll get a vasectomy" said Steven. "Oh please, you don't even know what a vasectomy is" Connie pointed out. "Yeah, well, I do know it helps make sure we don't have any more kids" said Steven. "Yeah, but that's because..." Connie began, and then whispered into Steven's ear, all the details about the procedure, Steven's face turned as pale as a sheet. "On the second thought, I'll just be really careful" said Steven. 

"Wow, if that's how you treat the person you love, I wouldn't want to be an enemy of yours" Greg joked. "So, how was everything, while we were out?" asked Connie "Steven and Greta were with you for a long time." "Everything's fine now, I was having doubts about how good of a father I was to Steven" said Greg "well, both Steven and Greta set the record straight, Greta surprised me the most about it because well, I didn't even raise her." "Well, Dad, I don't think fatherhood's an easy thing, I learned that myself when Rose was born" said Steven. "Oh god, how could I forget that" Connie commented "Yeah, Steven insisted on taking care of baby Rose himself, to the point of overexerting himself." "Seriously?" asked Greg "didn't you ask Garnet or Amethyst to help you?" "Well, you raised me by yourself and you seemed fine" said Steven, blushing "I thought if you could do it, I could do it." "Wow, Steven, I had no idea" said Greg.

"Well, Connie was just starting out at The University, I figured she'd probably be busy enough as it was, so I just wanted to make things easier on her" Steven admitted. "Yeah, I remembered I had to convince him to take a rest, he only agreed just to humour me, but the moment he lied down on the bed, he was out like a light" said Connie. Greg couldn't help but laugh. "Well, now Steven knows that raising the child is both the father and the mother's responsibility" Connie said. "I guess we both aren't perfect fathers, huh Steven?" Greg commented. Steven couldn't help but giggle nervously. 

Greta came back with the drinks. "So, what did I miss?" she asked. "Oh, I was just sharing with my father in-law an embarrassing story about my husband" Connie said. "Ooh, mind telling me? Or is this one of those "I had to have been there" moments?" asked Greta. "Pretty much, but if you're interested, I'll tell you later, it's hilarious, at least I think it is" answered Connie. "Not as hilarious as how Steven reacted when you told him what a vasectomy was, never seen a face turn white like that before" Greg added. Greta couldn't help but laugh, almost spilling the tray that had the drinks in them.

That afternoon onwards, everyone else got their turn to be in the room with Greg. The kids got their turn first, as he was their grandfather. He got a hug from Rose, of course, this was to be expected, she was a hugger, but this hug was different, a bit tighter than usual, of course, it was probably because she was worried before and now she was relieved he was okay. Piers, was not as expressive, not as affectionate as his sister was in this situation, but Greg knew that he too was worried about him. Connie than bought in Nora and Lisa, who were just happy to see Greg, Nora and Lisa were still babies, so they weren't aware of the current situation and were just happy because they saw a familiar face that they recognized. Garnet and Amethyst came into the room, both of them super relieved, as they had known Greg longer than everyone else in the room. "I know I said this before, but, don't scare us like that, Greg!" Amethyst reiterated, and finally, better late than never, Pearl came in as well. 

Greg's mood had drastically improved from how it was earlier in the day. He had started the day, feeling like a terrible father, and then there was that scolding from Dr. Maheswaran that triggered his heart attack, but afterwards he got corrected by his two children, both of whom had managed to convince him that, despite his mistakes, he was a good father, and as if things couldn't get any better, he got a big reminder of how many people care about him. It was at that moment where Greg got a little misty eyed, because it was then that he knew, that for the rest of his life, he was going to be surrounded by people who love and cherish him for who he is. Greg thought back to the time before he left home, when his own father told him that if he left to become a rock star, he wouldn't amount to anything. That memory kind of made Greg wish his father was alive and right here at this moment, just so that Greg could prove him wrong.

Later that day, Rose remembered she had to be onstage for Comedy Night, so she said her goodbyes. "Steven, you coming?" asked Amethyst. "No, I think I'll stay here with Dad, Priyanka says that he's in stable condition, but I want to be there in case something happens" Steven answered "not that anything will happen, of course, but I just want to make sure..." "We understand, Steven. Greg is lucky to have a son like you" said Garnet. "Not lucky, Garnet, I'm grateful for a son like Steven" said Greg. 

Steven sat down next to his Dad, he noticed Greta was getting her things. "Heading home?" asked Steven. "Yeah, I've got a job in the morning, but it was great seeing you again, you too, dad, you guys should stop by my place sometime, my husband would be looking forward to meeting you" said Greta. Greg and Steven waved goodbye to Greta. "Well, Steven, looks like it's just you, me and a small tv" said Greg. "Brings back memories doesn't it?" asked Steven. Greg and Steven laughed. "I'm sick of this talk show channel, let's find some good movies on somewhere" said Greg.


	7. Comedy night

When Rose arrived in Beach City, she was greeted by her girlfriend, Selena. The two went to Fish-Stu Pizza for dinner before. "So, you're really doing this, huh?" asked Selena. "Yeah, The play is next week, I need to know what it's like to perform in front of an audience" said Rose "and there's not much opportunity to practice in front of an audience." "I see your point, you really thought this through, huh?" Selena commented. "Hey, I always think things through" said Rose. "Rose, I love you, but no, you don't" said Selena "you're usually very impulsive, not that it's a bad thing." "What? Name one time I was impulsive" Rose challenged. "Well, there was your big house party, and there was the time you got paranoid of everyone thinking you were too immature for your age, acted like a total snob and ran off to the city and stole someone's job, and when you picked a fight with that alien bug guy who beat you into submission...you have no idea how worried I was after that last one." "....I said name one time" said Rose. 

Just than, the "bug guy" Selena mentioned, Tho'rax, approached their table, wearing an apron. "Oh, Hi Tho'rax!" said Rose. "I am this restaurants new "busk boy" I have come to busk your dishes" Tho'rax announced. "Uh we're still eating" said Selena. "That is okay, I will wait" said Tho'rax, suddenly standing still. "Hey, Tho'rax! How about you gather dishes from the other tables instead of waiting for those two to finish" said Kofi. "Understood, Employer" said Tho'rax. "Sorry, he's new" said Kofi "but he takes orders obediently." "I'm surprised you hired him, doesn't he look like a cockroach?" asked Selena. "Well, technically he isn't one, so having him in here doesn't exactly violate the health code" Kofi explained.

After dinner the two went to the Amusement Park as the Comedy night was set to begin, they saw Piers there, he wanted to see Rose's performance out of curiosity, wondering how she'll screw it up. "So, I was meaning to ask you, Rose, how was your grandpa? I heard what happened" said Selena. "It was tough seeing Grandpa Greg in a hospital bed like that, I was relieved to see he was okay when I got there" said Rose "I mean, yeah, he didn't have the healthiest lifestyle or diet, but all the time I've known him, he was so full of life, I honestly didn't think I'd ever see him in a hospital bed." "Dad's worried, so he decided to stay by his side until Grandpa Greg's ready to come home" Piers added "I honestly hope that doesn't happen again, Grandpa Greg is one of those people you could confide in, to depend on to always be there when you need him, I honestly don't even want to think about life without him." 

When they got to the outdoor amphitheater, Rose was called in by Mr. Smiley, she was told that she was going to be the opening act. "Opening act, congrats Rose" said Selena "you sure you're ready for this?" "Don't worry, In case of hecklers, my new aunt gave me this list of witty comebacks, I've memorized them all" said Rose. "New aunt?" asked Selena. "Apparently, Grandpa Greg was quite the Casanova, he had a daughter before he had our dad" said Piers "she's actually pretty cool, actually." 

As Rose went into the stage entrance, Piers and Selena took their seats in the amphitheatre, they noticed that right next to them was popular stand up comic, Billy Williams, better known by his stage name Mr. Williams. "Hello and welcome to Comedy Night everybody" Mr. Smiley announced "tonight for our opening act, our very own, Rose Universe." Rose came up on stage, as everyone clapped their hands. Rose was so excited to finally be on stage. She cleared her throat and began her act. "Oh is that all you got, how original" said Rose in a sarcastic tone. The audience was confused. Rose was caught off guard by that. "Uh...Nice shirt! Men and women are different in many ways...I'm funnier than your mom!" she continued. "What is she doing?" asked Selena. "I think she memorized that list of witty comebacks a little too well, it's pretty much replaced all her material" said Piers. "Oh no..." said Selena.

"Ha! Just like I thought, women comedians are never funny" said Mr. Williams. Both Piers and Selena were shocked at that. Mr. Williams then turned to Selena "Hey, you're a local, right? Is there a place that people around here like to make fun of? It's kind of my thing" he asked. "Oh, yeah...Beach City" said Selena. "Isn't this Beach City?" asked Mr. Williams. "What? No this is Ocean Town, must have gotten your directions mixed up" said Selena. "True, my GPS has been busted, and I do keep forgetting to have it repaired, thanks." Rose was still stumbling and saying all the witty comebacks on the list, that's when Mr. Williams walked up onto the stage and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, kid, let the real comedians do their work, amateur hour is over" he told her "honestly, what were you thinking coming up here?" Rose said nothing and left the stage feeling like she humiliated herself. She took a seat next to Selena, who gave her a comforting hug. 

"Hello everyone, it's great to be here" said Mr. Williams "I was just in Beach City, so it's good to be anywhere." The crowd was silent. "Beach City, shallow end of the gene pool, am I right folks?" Mr. Williams continue. "Boo!" someone in the crowd jeered. "What's the matter? You from Beach City or something?" Mr. Williams retorted, again to much silence from the unamused audience. "Anyway, let's hear it for the greatest town in the Great State of Delmarva: Ocean Town!" he said. This time the entire crowd was booing him. "You stink! Bring back Mean Rose!" an audience member jeered. "Yeah, get Mean Rose back up here" said another audience member. Pretty soon the entire crowd was chanting "Bring back Mean Rose! Bring back Mean Rose!"

Mr. Williams was flabbergasted, when suddenly he felt Rose's hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, old man, let the fake comedians do their work, professional hour is over" said Rose "honestly, what were you thinking coming up here?" Mr. Williams stomped his feet and stormed off. Everyone cheered as Rose was once again centre stage. "I see what you did there" said Piers to Selena. "What can I say? She stands up for me, I stand up for her" Selena said "I wasn't just going to sit there and let him bad mouth my girlfriend like that." "She's lucky to have you" said Piers. "And I'm lucky to have her" she added. 


	8. Home From The Hospital

Greg had stayed overnight at the hospital just for monitoring, and this morning he was let go. After Greg got dressed, Connie drove over to pick him and Steven up. "It feels good to be discharged" said Greg. "Well it's good to have you coming back home, Dad" said Steven "how about I make your favourite for dinner tonight?" "Thanks but no thanks, Steven, when I said I wanted to go on a better diet, I meant it, when you left town all those years ago I was a middle aged man, now I'm an elderly man, I need to watch my health now more than ever" said Greg "don't want a repeat of yesterday." 

"Well, I think that's a wonderful idea Greg, I don't think anybody wants to see that happen to you again, Steven especially" Connie commented. "Well, that's kind of why I want to do this" said Greg "when I saw everyone visit me in that hospital room yesterday, it really put it into perspective how many people care about me, and I want to stick around for as long as I can, not just for myself but for everyone who cares about me." "I'd like that, Dad, I'd like that a lot" said Steven.

The car trip back to Beach City had been a silent but peaceful one. Steven and Greg had never been closer, spending last night together watching movies on a crappy TV before they got tired enough to fall asleep, it was just like the good old days. Steven was relieved to see his dad with a very upbeat outlook on life, in contrast to yesterday when he thought he was a horrible father for Steven. Pretty soon they arrived in Beach City. Greg noticed the latest copy of the Beach City Bugle in a dispenser, the headline read: Mean Rose takes over Comedy Night! 

"Just what on earth did that girl do?" Steven commented. "I hope she didn't do anything bad" said Connie. "Hey, maybe it's just a nickname based on a routine or something" said Greg. The car eventually pulled up by the Beach House. Rose was quick to leap off the porch and hug her grandfather. "Careful, Rose, your grandpa just got out of the hospital" Steven cautioned. "Relax Steven, it's just a hug, and besides, Rose gives the best hugs" said Greg. "Well, you aren't wrong" Steven commented. 

Throughout the morning Greg had a bit of a welcome back party. Everyone was happy to have him home. Afterward when things had quieted down and Steven sat next to his father. "Hey Steven, what's up?" asked Greg. Just then, without warning, Steven hugged Greg real tight. "He's been trying to act tough for you ever since he heard of the heart attack" Connie explained. "Oh, Steven" said Greg in a comforting tone. "I'm so glad you're okay" said Steven, sobbing. "I am too, Steven, I am too" said Greg.

* * *

The next day, it was day one of Greg's new diet and Steven was looking up recipes for healthy treats for his dad to snack on in case he needed a snack. He knew that his father wouldn't be content to be munching on a carrot every time he needed something munch on, he wanted make sure his diet included a little variety. Steven had finished baking one of the first few recipes, zucchini muffins. "Well, dad, how about we put these to the test?" said Steven. "Now's as good a time as any, Shtu-ball" Greg concurred.

The two men each took a muffin and began eating. "Hmm...you can really taste the zucchini" said Greg. "Yep..." Steven agreed. "I mean really taste it" Greg added. The two men kept chewing but their faces began showing signs of displeasure. "I don't think I like the taste of zucchini" Greg concluded. "Me neither..." said Steven, both men spat out the zucchini muffins in the garbage. "Vegetables in pastries, who's idea was that?" Steven complained. "Well, don't worry about it, I'm sure we'll find a good recipe" said Greg. "But what are we going to do about the muffins? Can't let them go to waste" said Steven.

Amethyst then walked in, the smell of the freshly baked goodies caught her nose or "scent sponge" as Peridot called it. "Oooh, Muffins! Can I have one?" she asked. "They're all yours" said Steven, not wanting her to know about the horrible taste, not that it mattered considering she wasn't exactly a picky eater. Amethyst grabbed the pan and ate all the muffins...and the muffin pan. "Hey, zucchini, nice healthy choice, Greg" She commented. "Well at least someone like it..." Steven commented.

* * *

*Gembuster HQ, Somewhere in Deep Space*

Gembuster scientists were studying a strange deep space satellite they found, things were going smoothly until the thing self destructed. "How's the research into the object going?" asked The Prospector, leader of the Gembusters. "Well, an analysis shows that this is made of materials similar to gem made objects" A scientist that looked like a anthropomorphic frog. "Well, what about the data? Did you find any data?" asked The Prospector.

"But sir, the thing self destructed, even if the data could be salvaged, it could take years before we can decipher one bit of information" Another scientist who resembled a one eyed octopus hypothesized. "That's not good enough!" The Prospector shouted, lifting up the octopus scientist by collar of his uniform "can anyone explain to me, how we commandeered all this gem technology and spaceships and not even found even a hint to where the Gem Homeworld is located!?" "Sir, their technology is super advanced, and their star mapping is much more advanced as well, we're still trying to figure it out" The frog scientist argued. The Prospector than grabbed the frog scientist by his neck. "My race was primitive and didn't even have space ships and yet I was able to fly a gem made space ship just fine!" The Prospector argued with a menacing growl. He than dropped both scientists. "I won't rest until I shatter every last one of them!" He said as he stormed off 


End file.
